Lifting-truck.



y. UNITED STA TEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN IB. MARTIN, F CINCNNATI, OHIO.

LIFTING-TRUCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifting- Trucks, ofwhich the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to elevating trucks, and its objectis to simplifythe construei tion of trucks of this kind and make them more convenientin use.

My invention consists. in the combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction and. arrangement of partsas will heroine after be morefully described and claimed.

In the drawing: v n

Figure 1 is a general perspectlve view of a platform with my improvedtruck there-- under,the platform being shown by dotted lines only, so asnot to obscure the truck details, the truck and platform being m theirlowered positions; n

Fig. 2 1s sal-longitudinal vertical section on a plane corresponding tothe line fly-2 of Fi 1; and

gig. 3 is a similar section, but showing a truck andplatform in theirelevated positions.

As VI prefer to construct my inventlon, there is a truck-framecomprising side members 1. and a rear member 2 attached to the ends ofthe side members; the front ends of the side members 1 being rigidlycorr nected by a bar 3. .As here shown, the memn Vbers- 1 kand 2 of thetruck-frame are boards placed `with their edges up and down.; but

it will be understood that a modified frame of any other suitablematerial or suitable arrangement of parts will be equivalent.

Some distance forward 'from the rear member 2 extending across betweenthe membersl is' the rear bolster 4 which, as here shown, is a. beam ofoblong cross-section withits edges in general upward and downwarddirections and having rectangu` lar' recesses formed by cutting away itslower corners. 'These recesses receive the truckwheels 6 journaled on anaxle 7 that extendsthrough thelower part of the bol` "ster 4 from onerecess 5 to the other. Also the end parts of the axle 7 preferablyextend past the outer sides of the hubs of the wheels far enough toengage with the lower edges of the truck-frame members 1.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Application med September 14, 1917.

A short distance above the tops of the rei oesses 5, a shaft 8 extendsthrough the bol ster 4 from end to end and through the side lower edgesof theframe members 1 consid erably less distance than itis above theaide 7 in the bolster. Therefore, the lower part of the bolster mayswing forward through a suitable angle before the projecting parts ofthe Vaxle 7 engage with the lower edges of the members 1. The backwardswinging of the axle 7 is limited to a considerably less angle by stops9 projecting from the inner' sides of the frame members 1 above and forward of the shaft 8 for the front Vsides of the end parts of the bolster4t to engage with.

A short distance back from the front ends of the members 1, the irontbolster 10 lextends across between the members with a bolsterl 4 belowthe shaft 8, and below itis a swiveled bolster 12 which is swiveled tothe bolster 10 by a pin 13 extendino' down through a forward projection14 on t i'e bolster 10 and a similar projection 15 on the bolster 12; s0that the bolster 12 may swing; in a plane at right angles to the planeof swinging of the bolster 10 wxiitlivliich also swings the bolster 12.Thus this bolster 12 has swinging movements in planes at right angles toeach other. The swiveled bolster 12 is made short enough to allow ampleroom for the front wheels 16 between its ends and the inner sides of thetruck-frame 'tend so far below the shaft 11 as` does the members 1, andan axle 17 extends through the'lower part of this bolster 12 from oneend tothe other and projects past vthe ends to receive the wheels 16.

. The front connecting' bar 3 of the truck frame is 4placed high tobrackets 2O and 21 on the front side of the rear holster 4 and the rearside of the front. bolster 1t), respectively It will be. understood thatthis bar19 is so proportioned and has suoli relative position on theholsters, and the various stops 9, 3 and 1S :i re so relativelypositioned, that when the. holsters are swung backward the support ofthe. truclotraine und connected parts will be divided between theprojecting parts ot the rear axle 7 and the front stops 18; and thatwhen. the holsters are swung 'forward the. support will be dividedbetween the rear stop t and the tront bar 3.

The lift-ing and pulling device comprises the hollow tongue 22 with itslowe' end part. flattened and bent and p'ivoted on. the lower endpartot' tlie'pin 13; -the bend being such that when the holst/ers areswung backward;I the Atongue. will stand substantially vertin cal andwhen the holsters are swung forward. the tongue will extend forwardlyand upwardly at about the right angle for a convenient grasping of the.handles 23 near the upper end ot the. tongue. A stay 24 has its rear endpart pivoted on the, upper end part of the pin. lz from which rear endsaid stay is bent downwardly and then forwardly and upwardly and fixedto the rear side of the tongue as by the rivet 25. Lateral braces 2G.are fixed to the lower side of the tongue 22 and extend diverginglybackward under the lower side. ot the. swivel bolster 12 to which theyare fixed.

Thus, the tongue 22 is connected to both holsters 10 and 12 in such amanner as to very effectively pull, on both of thein in swinging them ontheir shaft 11, and, through the connection of the har 19 swiiiging therear bolster 'lon its axle 7; but also to swing the swivel bolster 1t)on its pin 13 in the'other plane.

`Sliding inside the hollow tongue is the l'ittii'ig har 2i' prin eiitedlroin eoiiiplete withdrawal h i a stud if* projecting from the in nerwall of. the. tongue 22 into a longitudinal slot zii in the side. otthe" hai' .27. rThis bar normally projects' a short. distance only fromthe upper end of the. tonguey 22, as showi'i in Fig. but when a heavyload is to be elevated by the truck, this bar 27 inay be pulled out l.toincrease the leverage, as shown in Fig. 1.

Connected to the upper part ofthe front bolster 10 and the lower part ofthe rear bolster 4 is a suitable cushioning devi-ce., which. as hereshown, comprises an clongated tubular easing 5i() with its lower endpivoted to Va bracket 31 on the lower front corner of the rear bolster4. and an elongated tubular plunger 32 with its front. end piv+v oted tothe bracket 21`on the upper rear sidii of the front holster lli. Thisplunger 32 ha.' its rear end 5.5i) closed and provided with asuitablecup il! iitiiiig the. interior of the acasing 30 snugly. vTherear end of the casing 3() is provided with air inlet openingsii'nniediately forward ot' which-is an annular flange 36 on which seats'a disk 37 which has a small central opening 38. The casing 30 and theplunger 32 are of such lengt-h that the plunger still has considerablebearing in the casing when the holsters are swung forward as in Fig. 3,and .yet has suflicient clearness in the rear part ot' the casing whenthe holsters are swung backward as in Fig. 2.

Both the connecting bar 19 and the cushioning device are preferablyextended substantially along the. center line of the truck 'troni frontto rear, as indicated, in Fig. 1.

The platforn'i for use with the truck inay be of any suitableconstruction which will permit. the truck to run under it when iii thelowered position illustrated. in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus for instance, asshown in Fig. 1, there. are side sills iii) fixed to legs 40, and asuitalile flooring 41 is niade up of pieces extern ing across from onesill 39 to the other and fixed to the' upper edges thereof and to theupper endg of the legs 40, whereby the platt'orin is suituhli-vtransversely braced at its ends without obstructing the spaces betweenthe legs 40 and under the Hooring 41, so that the truck may run freelythereunder, as illustrated. 1Vhen the holsters are swung back, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, the truck is run under. the platform or other objectto be lifted thereby, the tongue 22 and its bar 2T being the-n inupright position, as shown. Then a. forward and downward pull on thetongue 22 (by means of the extended bai' 27 if necessary for ease inovercoming the load) swings the holsters forward to the. positions shownin Fig. 3, lifting the trucleframe a short distance and lifting with itthe platfoir'n, so that the legs 10 are '.1 short distance from thefioor. Then the tongue 22 hasv been depressed to a suitable position forread'il)v drawing the truck over the Hoor and guidingr it in any desireddirection by virtue of the sw'iveli-ng of the bolster 12 carrying thefront. wheels 16.

\Vhen the load is to be lowered, it is necessary only to raise thetongue (by means ot the extended bar 2'1, it necessary to overcome theload) and permit the bols-ters to swing backward again.

It will be understood that either in elevating orl lowering,'t.heinitial part of the operation only is resisted by the. load.; and afterthe. holsters have passed vertical positions, the. rest of the swingingis under the action due to the weight of the load being andthe slightdepression of the load dur- L ihg this short-latter part of the raisin gOP eratlon may bevery readily controlled by the operator holdingto thetongue 22 or extended bar 27;A especially since the force of lthe to eor bar is downward and can be veryelftltively resisted by the operatorwith comparatively'small effort. However, in the longer latter art ofthe lower-in operation es through which the holsters swing then, ,and onaccount of the tongue 22 and bar27 being" close to the verticalpositionduring this time so` that the control of the operator is notveryeffective', l prefer to provide the cushionin device constructed ashereinbefore descrlbed.

VVheu the holsters are swung forward and the plun er 32 is pulledforward in the casing 30, t e air rushes in through the opening 35pushin the disk 37 forward from its-seat 36 witllr very littleobstruction; but when the bolstersswing backward and the lunger 32 ispushed backward in the lng 30, the disk- 37 seats, and the air entrapped`between it 4and the -cup .34 on the plunger can escape only through4the very smn'll opening 38, so that the fall of the load and thesupporting parts is amply cushioned by the'jair thus compressed duringthis obstructed discharge.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a lifting truckof very simple construction which is held in elevated osition without.the use of any complicated etching mechanism, and which is eitherelevated or lowered with comparative ease. It will be understood thatthclruck may be used in conjunction with the latform 4"sl'lowm or`anyother suitable plat crm, on

" understood that my invention is capableI of which any kind of goodsmay be placed for storage, and .yet ready to be moved on the truck; orthe truck may be usedfor elevat and hauling any other object under wlichit may be run ,-andwhichit will lift slightly upon elevation. It willalso be minor1 variations in its construction without gearting fromthescope and spirit of. the

, o v u 5o i owing claims ist 1. In a lifting truck, a frame element, a'

al y connected to said wheel and to` said frame to swing the frame downrelatively to the wheel when swung past the vertical line in onedirection, a stop for said elenient to limit the Vswinging in saiddirection, and said element being adapted to' swing said frame downwardrelatively to said wheel when swung in the other direction past thevertical line, `and a stop for said element limiting its swinging insaid other direction Vto an angle less than that of its swinging in thefirstmentioned direction, whereby Vsaid frame element is elevated aboveits position which it had when swung sulpporting wheel', a swinging'element pivot' down in said first-mentioned direction,'

whereby sad'element is held in said elevated position underA the actionof ravity, and a swivel connectionbetweenfsai wheel and said swingingelement entirely below the top'of said frame element, whereby said Wheelmay be swung in a plane-at an angle to that of the swinging of saidelement, to'

connected to saidswinging elements canag-k ngthem to Swingin unison',arear sto 'for -.s

said elements and a front stop' for ele-y wheel and` said -front wheel,respetively, to)V said frame'- eleinent, a connectlng elementanients,said stops 4being so positioned thated` the swinging of said elements inone direction is through 'a considerably greater :ingle thantheirswinging in the other direction; f 2.90

-whereby said frame element 1s ralsedf thenlowered less than it wasraisedntmd held by the action of gravity in `an, elevated positionrelative to its first position, andya cushioning moving parts-of saidswingingelemen l JOHN n .MAnaNi i Witnesses: l

JAMES N. Ramsar, Cnanmvcn PERDEW.,

